Baring it All
by SwanQueenAddict
Summary: Kate has returned to NCIS to find everything has changed - Kibbs
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the character, but if I did Kate would not have died... :(

**A/N:** I kinda got this idea from Buffy and obviously changed around a few facts ;) Although, Kate would be one awesome Vampire Slayer!!

**/-x-x-x-/**

"Abby!" Kate called over the loud music. She frowned hearing no reply, shrugging Kate moved to the back room to find her friend slumped in the chair reading the latest X-Men comic book.

"Kate?" Abby queried looking up from her comic.

"Hey" Kate waved shyly. Abby jumped up from her chair and raced over to Kate. She hugged her tightly as she fought back the tears.

"Did I do something wrong?" Abby asked stepping back wiping her eyes.

"No, of course not!" Kate frowned.

"Why didn't you reply to my emails or return my calls??" Abby questioned.

"Sorry about that. I didn't plan to be away for so long" Kate muttered. "So what's happen since I've been away?" Kate asked wheeling over the spare chair from the ballistics room.

"Well… a great many things!" Abby grinned pulling her legs underneath her. "Hmmm, where to begin? Oh, I know!!" Abby giggled. "Tony got married"

"Get out!" Kate cried.

"No kidding!" Abby laughed.

"Really? Wow… would've guessed he'd ever find someone to tie him down eh?" Kate questioned.

"She's really nice. She drops in a lot, well when she isn't on shift at work" Abby shrugged.

"I'd like to meet her" Kate smiled faintly.

"You can, I think Tony was grumbling about forgetting his lunch so she was going to drop it off. Oh, you soo have to go and tell the others you've come back!" Abby grinned wildly with excitement.

"So what is this wonder woman's name?" Kate giggled slightly at her joke.

"Jeanne Benoit, she's a doctor" Abby answered.

"What about Tim?" Kate asked leaning back in the chair.

"Well, about, hmm, a couple of months ago he found a nice girl. They seem pretty serious" Abby shrugged.

"You don't seem all that pleased" Kate frowned with concern.

"I'm fine" Abby forced a smile turning her head away.

"Abs, come on. I'm your best friend! Oh gosh… you love him don't you?" Kate asked quietly.

"Is it that obvious??" Abby said looking up at Kate.

"Sort of" Kate shrugged.

"We've got a new director. She used to work with Gibbs a long time ago" Abby continued.

"Gibbs" Kate whispered cutting Abby off.

"Yes, well I know she is the director and all but she has been nice to me. She's been so nice towards me. When she arrived she noticed I was exactly myself, partly because it was only a month after you left and I just found it very easy to talk to her" Abby rambled.

"Going back to Gibbs, what about him…" Kate paused to take several deep breaths. She knew exactly why she left and that Gibbs probably didn't tell anyone the real reason or any reason at all. "Does he have a new woman in his life?" Kate continued "Oh god, is he alright?" she gasped as Abby was extra quiet.

"He quit Kate, four months ago" Abby whispered.

"What!?!" Kate shouted. "He can't!!" Kate cried jumping to her feet.

"He did. At first, he wouldn't talk to anyone, not me or Ducky. Months later, he started to swift back into himself but then he completely lost it and quit. He said he couldn't bare walking past your desk everyday and seeing it empty. We were all shocked though I think Tony most because he got promoted to takes Gibbs' old job" Abby explained.

"I better go to his house" Kate said grabbing her bag and headed for the door.

"You won't find him there" Abby called to her.

"Why not!?" Kate frowned spinning around.

"He moved" Abby mumbled.

"Where to??"

"Stillwater" Abby smiled faintly.

"What on earth for??" Kate shouted.

"His father. Stillwater is where he grew up" Abby replied.

"Right" Kate nodded and continued to move towards the door.

"Now where are you going?" Abby whined.

"To Stillwater" Kate replied without stopping.

"But what about Ducky, Tim, Tony and meeting Jeanne?" Abby queried.

"They're going to have to wait" Kate said pressing the lift button. Kate ran out into the car park and rushed over to her dark blue Mazda 3 in the spot she parked it. Quickly unlocking the car, she jumped into the driver's side and reached across to open the glove box. Pulling out a map, she quickly found the best route to Stillwater and set off.

**/-x-x-x-/**

**A/N: **What do you reckon, another chapter??

Just for the record, I think Jeanne and Tony were brilliant together! It sucked that Tony had to go undercover and spoils everything that he didn't choose her or say he loved her even though he does!! geez…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

What seemed like countless hours and three toilet breaks, Kate finally arrived at the small town of Stillwater. She smiled faintly at the large sign hanging overhead welcoming her to their town.

"Oh god, I don't know where to find Gibbs" Kate frowned chewing on her bottom lip. She parked the car on the side of the road and got out. Pushing her hair from her eyes, she decided to walk down what looked like the main road.

"You look lost" someone said behind Kate. She spun around to face the old man leaning on his walking stick.

"Just a little bit" Kate confessed.

"Well if there is anything I can help you with, just ask" he smiled sweetly. Kate nodded her head and stared at him.

"Your eyes" she mumbled.

"You're her!" he said in surprise.

"What?!" Kate frowned.

"You better follow me my dear" the man said and walked down the road. A few metres away he held open a door and Kate entered the shop. "Have a seat" he said gesturing to the table. "Jethro!!" the man called out.

"Yes dad?" Gibbs answered entering minutes later. Kate rose to her feet and smiled towards him.

"Oh, hello" Gibbs muttered.

"Gibbs…" Kate choked getting to her feet. "We need to talk" she whispered.

"Dad, give us a moment?" Gibbs asked.

"I'll go make a cup of tea" he said disappearing into the back of the shop.

"Why are you here?" Gibbs frowned watching Kate settle back down into the chair.

"I went back to NCIS only to find everything was different. I told you I was coming back!" Kate growled.

"Cept you forgot to mention it would be a year later" Gibbs shouted.

"I got caught up" Kate shrugged.

"Doing what?? All you had to was get him to sign some papers!" Gibbs yelled.

"It wasn't that easy" Kate frowned.

"So you still have feelings for the guy?" Gibbs asked sitting down into the chair.

"No way! I love you" Kate cried.

"Then why didn't you come back to me sooner?" Gibbs frowned leaning forward.

"I told you, it was complicated" Kate sighed.

"All you had to do was just ask for his signature!" Gibbs said starting to get annoyed again.

"I couldn't ok!! Where he lives, it's a small town very like where I was born and bred. All our friends and his family were there. I couldn't just blurt out that I wanted a divorce. It turned out into a whole big reunion thing" Kate shrugged.

"Which last a whole year! Give me a break" Gibbs growled.

"Come off it!!" Kate yelled. "You know what, I think you're jealous" Kate shrugged.

"Oh really?? Of you being away for a whole year. Leaving your poor fiancé behind hoping and praying that you would come back the next day?" Gibbs cried jumping to his feet once again.

"It was a mistake to come back, obviously you don't me wearing this anymore" Kate said pulling something from her coat pocket and placed it gently on the table. "Goodbye Gibbs" Kate whispered leaving the shop.

"Tea's made" Jack said carrying a tray over to the table. "She didn't stay long" he frowned looking up at the door. "Wow… Did she turn you down, eh son?" Jack asked glancing at the ring then up to his son. Gibbs frowned as he picked up the engagement ring and turned it over with the tip of his fingers. Shoving it into his pocket, he grabbed his keys and raced to the back.

**x-x-x**

Kate walked down the street to her car. Taking several deep breaths she unlocked her car and got in.

"Stupid bastard" she mumbled under her breath as she put the key into the ignition. Wiping away the tears, Kate started the car and drove out of town. Kate looked to the right to see and black and yellow car travelling beside her. Gibbs put the window and so did Kate.

"Pull over!" he shouted across at her.

"What for? We've already talked" Kate frowned glancing across at Gibbs then up at the road ahead.

"PULL OVER!!!" Gibbs shouted. Kate just ignored him and stepped on the escalator to get away. "You can be _so_ stubborn Kate" Gibbs growled getting in front of her. He slowed down and turned the car blocking Kate's path. Kate slammed on her brakes to prevent from ramming up the back of Gibbs' car. Kate head was spinning, her heart racing as she watched Gibbs climb out his car and walk towards her. _'What on earth does he want now!?' _ she asked herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Kate's hands were shaking as she rolled down the window. She took a deep breath as Gibbs approached the car and rested his arms inside the car.

"Why don't you want this?" he asked causally.

"I do but obviously you don't" Kate frowned.

"What?! Of course I still want you to have this!" Gibbs yelled.

"Obviously you don't" Kate said staring straight ahead.

"Why do you say that?" Gibbs frowned pulling her head towards him.

"Back in the shop you kept on going on about how I still had feelings for the guy, even though I don't, and you kept on complaining about how long I was away for even though that wasn't my fault!" Kate shouted staring into his blue eyes.

"Can we just forget that conversation ever happen?" Gibbs begged.

"I can't! I'd feel you would still be thinking that" Kate said.

"I would not!! I was upset and anger but I still love you" Gibbs growled.

"I still can't help think that you would" Kate sighed.

"You're still not getting it!" Gibbs shouted stepping back. Kate frowned and got out of the car.

"Don't get what?" she asked standing in front of him.

"I was absolutely miserable when you weren't here. I wished that you were here, by my side. And yet here you are saying that I'm the one with the problem!" Gibbs yelled flapping his arms about.

"Well what do you want me to do? Just put the ring back on and pretend this never happened?" Kate cried.

"Yes!! Gibbs nodded.

"How can I, when you've been accusing me of things I didn't do!" Kate yelled.

"If I could go back in time, I would. I just want you to come back to me" Gibbs muttered. Kate stared at him for a moment before leaning up to kiss him.

"Ask me again" Kate whispered into his ear.

"Ask you what?" Gibbs frowned confused. Kate reached into Gibbs' jean pocket and pulled out the ring

"Ask me again" Kate repeated handing Gibbs the ring.

"Kate, will you make me…" Gibbs began.

"Stop!" Kate cried interrupting Gibbs.

"What?" he frowned.

"Get down on one knee!" Kate said pointing to the ground.

"Kate… will you make me the happiest man in the world if you accept my hand in marriage?" Gibbs asked holding the ring up for Kate.

"Yes!" she grinned. Gibbs smiled and slipped the ring on her finger. Gibbs stood up and wrapped his arms around Kate and kissed her.

**- The End -**


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